Social Justice Project

Reading and Writing for Social Justice: Looking at the World Through a Lens of Justice and Fairness

ELA Project

By Kate Pamplin 802

       

* An article that deals with injustice

My Article- “Protests Flare After Ferguson Police Office is Not Indicted” By Monica Davey and Julie Bosman from The New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/25/us/ferguson-darren-wilson-shooting-michael-brown-grand-jury.html?module=Search&mabReward=relbias%3Ar%2C%7B%222%22%3A%22RI%3A13%22%7D&_r=0

        This issue that arose is the killing of Michael Brown, an unarmed young man, who was African-American, who was shot and killed by a police officer. The case of the police officer, Darren Wilson, who was white, recently was presented to a Grand Jury, which decided not to indict him. This is unfair because it has been reported that when Michael was shot, his hands were up! This means he was surrendering and did not want to fight. Wilson shot him anyway, which was uncalled for and totally unfair.

This case seems very similar to the Travon Martin incident, which appeared to be very much related to the victim’s race. If Michael had been a white boy who just robbed a liquor store, and who was roaming the streets, I believe the officer would have either just said to get out and go home, or would have taken him into the station, not killed him. This incident seems to be one in which the officer reacted violently because of the race of the person in question.

Everyone needs to be treated equally, and when it comes to encounters with black unarmed boys and an armed white man, the answer is not to kill.

* Make a list of scenes or situations that you see in your everyday life that you think are unfair to human rights.

-a kid being called a fag for being gay

-the word “gay” being used as a derogatory term (“that’s so gay man”)

-unarmed African Americans being shot for no reason

-girls being told its gross when they don’t shave their legs

-there is only one biracial kid in my class (basically of all of my class is white)

        The word ‘gay’ being used as a derogatory term really bugs me. Even if someone is doing something like going to the bathroom, people think it’s funny to say,  “Ha ha, that’s so gay, man.” They say this in a mocking tone, and probably do not mean anything truly harmful by it, but it’s still annoying.

The question is, how are gay people different than the rest of us? They like the same sex, that’s it. They still have basic human rights like everyone else. Having their identity used as a joke isn’t okay. First of all, how is saying, “That’s so gay” funny? Secondly, does anyone have the right to make fun of someone’s sexuality? Finally, why is that used in a bad term? Another meaning for gay is happy, so why has it turned into an insult? That whole issue bugs me so much and it needs to stop.

*  Interview someone you know.

I’m interviewing my mom, Claire.

All of these are the words of Claire Pamplin!

Q1-What do you think is good about our world?

A1- I believe that many people are good people, and that they want to help others. So, when disaster strikes, such as a hurricane, a tornado, a house fire, some sort of accident, a horrible event such as 9/11, or some other catastrophe, most people really rise to the occasion and lend their friends and even total strangers a helping hand.

I also think that people sometimes start out with hate or misunderstanding in their hearts, but when they truly get to know other people, when they begin to see them as friends, neighbors, or as people with whom they share some kind of common ground, they open their hearts and begin to love them. This is why it is so important to create situations where people see others as familiar, with common traits.

Q2- What about the world do you think is unfair?

A2-While I do believe that racism, sexism, and homophobia are unfair, beyond all these is economic inequality. It seems unfair, and really a form of cruelty and even madness, that some people have more money, more food, more comfort and luxury than they can ever use in a lifetime, while others struggle daily to get enough to eat, or to pay their bills and to buy necessities.

In fact, the extreme situations are unfair -- the super wealthy family in America or Russia or China, versus the children digging in the garbage heaps for food in Africa or India. But the more subtle situations are also unfair: why should a so-called middle-class family struggle to pay bills, to provide adequate medical care for their children and so on? Why should anyone in American, to begin with, one of the richest countries in the world, ever be without any of the basic comforts and necessities of life? And then, to think on global terms, why should any human being anywhere suffer materially, when others have more than they need? We put too much emphasis on individual effort and striving, rather than on sharing with our brothers and sisters.

        I totally agree with my mom. We have very similar views on things, so this response is something similar to what I would say myself. The whole issue with economy in this country is ridiculous, and I think everyone should be more generous and less greedy. Added on to some of the issues she thought were unfair like racism, sexism, and homophobia are also other big issues that need to be dealt with. Even if we aren’t segregated anymore doesn’t mean racism doesn’t exist, and people need to realize that, and treat everyone the same. Also the sexism in this country is unbelievable. Still women are getting paid less than men for the same job is absurd. Also the way men treat women as some sort of toy they can make rude and inappropriate remarks to is disgusting. And homophobia, can people just get over the fact that sometimes two men or two women like each other, geez, it’s not like its affecting them in any way. People just need to treat others the way they want to be treated.

        But, there is some good in the world. The community sense when disaster strikes. Like my mom said after something like 9/11 happens, it brings people together. Also the fact that when people are hungry, or in trouble, people do come out and help. Another thing that is good in the world is the fact we are realizing these problems and trying to fix them. For example organizations such as ASPCA, AFC, etc. But to be honest, right now in the world there is more bad than good.

* Watch the news and put yourself in the shoes of the person the newscaster is reporting about.

I watched a news segment on the Taliban and how they invaded a foreign guesthouse in Afghanistan. If I were being attacked, I would be asking myself so many questions: “Why me?  What did I do to them?” These were just people on vacation; we don’t know much but they were foreign, so this was probably a racial thing. More racism. But in the shoes of the people being attacked, I would try to make peace, and just do what the Taliban says. It would be so scary, and just a stressful situation. I think a lot of people don’t really understand with this whole situation, so I would be confused, too. Overall, I would think I was attacked because of my race.

  

   * Find a true story about someone who changes the world every day.

My Mom, Cathy Holladay

        My mom Cathy Holladay has been working in the mental health field for a long time and at her current job for about 20 years. She has come so far and helped so many people. The thing I love most about my mom’s job is her helping the people that are most in need. The mentally ill are stigmatized and often frowned upon, and her line of work is helping them go out and live a normal life. Also the basic principal of helping people in need, because it’s the right thing (since it is a non for profit) is something good for the world. I’ve met some of the members at her work and they are all so nice and smart. What my mom does it great and it really impacts the community for the better.

Q1-What do you do?

A1- I am an administrator of a mental health program, basically I’m in charge.

Q2-Where do you work, and what do they do?

A2- I work at Skylight Center, in Staten Island. It’s a non for profit clubhouse where we help mentally ill people get jobs, live in the community, stay out of the hospital, and just help improve everyday life.

Q3-Why do you do this?

A3- Because there is a great need for programs like this, because the mentally ill stigmatized. And a lot of people are afraid to help because they are scared of these people. This job is fulfilling to me. I like helping others, and making a social impact.

Q4- How long have you been in this field?

A4-Since 1985-29 years!

Q5-What do you do outside of your job to help others?

A5-I volunteer at my church’s soup kitchen, and helping some members there with housing issues, social security issues, and other things. I am also a part of the local community garden, and work at the land trust in Becket MA.

Beautiful

By Christina Aguilera

Every day is so wonderful
Suddenly it's hard to breathe
Now and then I get insecure
From all the pain, I'm so ashamed

I am beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring me down
I am beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring me down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today

To all your friends you're delirious
So consumed in all your doom
Trying hard to fill the emptiness, the piece is gone
Left the puzzle undone, ain't that the way it is?

You are beautiful no matter what they say
Words can't bring you down, oh no
You are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring you down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today

No matter what we do
(No matter what we do)
No matter what we say
(No matter what we say)
We're the song inside the tune
Full of beautiful mistakes

And everywhere we go
(Everywhere we go)
The sun will always shine
(Sun will always shine)
But tomorrow we might awake on the other side

'Cause we are beautiful no matter what they say
Yes, words won't bring us down, oh no
We are beautiful in every single way
Yes, words can't bring us down, oh no
So don't you bring me down today

Don't you bring me down today,
Don't you bring me down today

*  A song that expresses a significant issue about social issues.

Song- “Beautiful” by Christian Aguilera

This song and video are very inspiring. The song is about finding your inner beauty. The video shows us many different aspects of people being judged for who they are. For example ,there is a girl with anorexia, a gay couple, a transvestite, an emo kid, etc. The song is saying how everyone is beautiful in his or her own way.

       

This song is very important because it’s reaching out to everyone, telling them it’s okay to be different. In this day and age being different is frowned upon, because everyone has to be cool, and have the new clothes, and be the same as everyone else.

The song says,  “Every day is so wonderful/ Suddenly it's hard to breathe/ Now and then I get insecure /From all the pain, I'm so ashamed. I take this as when the speaker tries try to be different, she gets a lot of hate, then begins to dislike who she is, and becomes ashamed. This song is definitely a good role model for kids who are anorexic, gay, emo, etc. because it does show its okay to be who they are. And coming from such a big pop star like Christina Aguilera, they can really see her as a role model and think, If she says its okay and cool, then it must be okay.  In this day, everyone is influenced by celebrities, and people like Christina are trying to get messages into their songs to get kids’ attention.

*  TV show analysis

Show-Freaks and Geeks

I just re watched the popular TV show Freaks and Geeks. Personally, I love it, but I saw many socially interesting and significant things that caught my eye. The supposed “freaks” on the show, the ones who were supposed to be different weren’t really different at all. And the “geeks” to be all dorks who liked Dungeons and Dragons. They all were middle class white kids. The whole show doesn’t really doesn’t have any diversity. The only different thing as when Ken, one of the freaks, was dating a girl who was born with a penis and a vagina and chooses to be a girl. The concept of the show is to show the difference between the freaks and geeks, and the rest of the school, but since it was released in 1999 and was set in the 80’s I guess times were different then. But really if they wanted the freaks to be different they could have added in some diversity.

        The general family lives in this show however were very different. For example there was a cheating scandal, a mother who didn’t really care, a single mom dating a teacher, and just an average conservative family. This shows diversity in the real world, because not everyone’s families are perfect. But all of these kids could basically do what they wanted, they went where they wanted, and if they weren’t allowed, they would sneak out. In addition, they had cool clothes, and their lives were pretty. This makes me think that Hollywood should have a more accurate portrayal of teens -- or of everyone in general, for that matter. For example, having a kid with strict parents who weren’t allowed to do anything, or a poor kid who had nothing. But this whole concept of stereotyping makes me feel that Hollywood is only giving viewers what they want to see, a good life that they could aspire to have. But I know that is true, and I know in present day things are becoming more diverse, for example the show Modern Family has a gay couple and a biracial couple. So times are changing as television writers and producers are realizing they must show more accurate aspects of real life.

Reading Response-Why Forever Shouldn't Be Banned

 Why Forever by Judy Blume Shouldn’t Be Banned

Reading Response

Kate Pamplin 802

The book Forever by Judy Blume is the story of Katherine, who is a senior in high school. When she goes with her friend Erica to a New Years Eve party, she meets Michael Wagner. Soon Kath finds herself thinking about Michael constantly and after realizing they both like each other, the two become a couple. The book goes through their relationship as a couple and the questions and complications of sex and intimacy.

          This book is banned in many schools and libraries. It has been banned because it discusses sex, and the idea of having sex in high school, which apparently parents don’t want their children reading. I think this book can teach kids valuable lessons and have them open up to an important idea before the time for them to make the decision to have sex themselves.

           Early in the relationship the two characters begin to discover sex and intimacy. Kath wants to spend as much time as possible being with Michael. Kath is all about safe sex and is very careful. She says, “Like my mother said, you can't go back to holding hands.” This shows that Kath is aware that having sex can change the relationship, and take things to a more serious level. In the end, Katherine ends up with another boy, but she doesn't regret having sex with Michael.

                This book can teach kids about the choices of whether to have sex or not.  It’s a big deal for Katherine and Michael. They have to take time to decide to do it or not. This book can show kids that sex is a normal thing in a relationship, and that they have a choice about it.

          I don’t think it should be banned. I am a thirteen-year-old girl myself, and reading this book, I did not take the sexual content as something bad or a sin. I was helpful to read and comprehend about the decisions I’ll have to make. This book is a realistic book describing what it will be like for all of us in about four or five years, so reading it now will prepare us for what’s to come. And it’s not like this book is 50 Shades of Grey, apparently a novel with lots of explicit sex scenes; it’s written for teens, so it shouldn't be banned. In fact, it should be more publicized.

          Kids shouldn't be sheltered their entire life. They need to read about these topics before they have to face them in the real world themselves.  

YA Book Response

Reading Response

Divergent by Veronica Roth

By Kate Pamplin 802

            Everyone at this age is trying to fit in. Everyone just goes with the crowd and doesn’t really stand out. This issue is an underlying theme in the book Divergent by Veronica Roth. The book is about a future dystopian world. Everyone is split up into five “factions”. Each faction has its own beliefs, morals, rules, etc. When members of the factions are 16 years old, they take a test to see which faction they will choose. Beatrice (or Tris) chooses Dauntless, a very violent, dare devil, ruthless faction that values courage and hates cowardice. Tris has changed throughout the book. Before she goes to Dauntless, she is ordinary. After she arrives, she becomes adventurous. After she stays there a while, she must be strong because of the actions of her fellow initiates.  She grows and finds her inner self throughout the story, and shows us the importance of being who you really are.

            Before Tris comes to Dauntless, she is ordinary. In her home faction, Abnegation, everyone is very simple. They have the same hair, clothes, and houses. Everyone is the same. “The houses on my street are all the same size and shape,” states Tris. “To some the sight might be gloomy, but to me their simplicity is comforting.” They thought something more elaborate was a sign of being vain or greedy. Tris is very plain. She doesn't do anything exciting.  She follows all the rules, and isn’t particularly memberable.  Tris was very simple and normal. This shows us that Tris is just following the rules because she doesn’t really have a choice. She can’t do what she really wants so she thinks she doesn’t have a choice till she can choose her faction.

            After Tris arrives at Dauntless, she becomes adventurous. She started to become rebellious dare devil. She was the first jumper, she was the first person to jump off the building to get into the Dauntless compound. She also went with Uriah, a dauntless born initiate, to an abandoned building. They went up to the roof and zip-lined 100 stories above the ground. When it was Tris’s turn she was filled with adrenalin. After she reached the other side she said, “When can I go again?” This shows she has left her Abnegation ways and now is experiencing more exciting things that she would never do in her old faction. She is now changing and becoming her own person, doing things she wants to do. She is realizing she is her own person and can do things she wants to do, and that opens her up to a whole new world of discovering herself and being happy.  

            After Tris has been at Dauntless for a while she becomes strong. She becomes strong emotionally and physically. Since all the training she has put on some muscle. But she becomes strong emotionally because some of her fellow initiates are out to get her because she is doing so well. She ranked first in the second stage of the initiation, and she also beat Molly, a great fighter, in the first stage. So Molly really doesn't like Tris. Molly told the newspaper horrible things about Tris’ father, and that hurt Tris emotionally. Also Peter, Al, and Drew (all other initiates) tried to kill her. They tied her up and were about to throw her in the Chasm (a river running through “the pit”- the main center in the Dauntless compound) but then Four (one of the leaders/ instructors) came and saved Tris. Four tells Tris, “You belong here you know that? You belong with us. It’ll be over soon, so just hold on, okay?” This shows that Tris needs to be strong and push through. She needed to change to help herself. She has realized her feelings and kind of who she is, and how she needs to help and grow as a new person.

            Tris changes throughout Divergent. At first she was ordinary, then she became adventurous, and finally she had to change for the better and become strong. Everyone can change. Everyone needs to change once in a while. Whether you change for the better, that's your choice. This also shows us just to be yourself, and how sometimes you need change to realize who you really are.  

"Ashes" Reading Response By Katie P 802

“Ashes” Reading Response

Kate Pamplin 802

In the short story “Ashes,” by Susan Beth Pfeffer, a young teenage girl struggles with the conflicts she experiences as she grows up in a divorced household. Ashes’s mother is responsible, while Ashes’ father is absent and unreliable. Throughout the story her morals are tested and the reader is prompted to think about why we make certain decisions that could shape our lives.

Throughout the story Ashes is influenced by her father who isn’t the best role model. He tries to make it seem as though he will be there to take care of Ashes, but he really can’t. “Dad gets by on a grin and a willingness to help. He’s always there if you need him. Well, not always,” Ashes says. She tries to believe that he will be there, but he won’t, and she knows it. He also just never comes through on his promises. He promises to give Ashes a necklace made out of stars, but like most things, he never comes through on his word. The necklace, and the effort of her dad “trying” to get the necklace shows us that Ashes’s relationship is based on broken dreams and promises. Ashes wants to believe in her dad, so she keeps forgiving him, because he’s her dad, but she does realize he’s not the best dad.

 Compared to Ashes’s mother, who is always prepared and responsible, Ashes’s dad is the more irresponsible one. This forces Ashes to choose between the “fun” parent, who is easygoing and not very responsible, and the reliable parent who is always there.  Considering her parents live at separate houses, this is difficult for Ashes. She’s getting two different ideas of what is right and wrong, and is being pulled in two different directions. Her dad says, “All I can give you is dreams, Ashes…. But one good dream is worth a thousand flashlight batteries.” This refers to the fact that the girl’s mom always has batteries for flashlights, is always prepared. And the dad can only give dreams, can’t be responsible enough to take care of her, and can give only advice and lessons.  This shows us that Ashes’s is forced to choose between her two parents-this is apart of the story where her morals are tested. We can see this because she’s getting two completely different teachings from her parents, (a more strict conservative- be safe rather than sorry attitude from her mom, and a who cares fun attitude from her dad) and she has to choose which one she agrees with.

           

The father in the story takes advantage of Ashes. He wants her to “borrow” two hundred dollars from Ashes’s mom’s emergency money. Ashes is resistant. She knows stealing is wrong and she doesn’t want to go against her mother and her trust, but she doesn’t want to disappoint her father after he takes them out for a pleasant dinner and behaves so lovingly and kind to Ashes. She seems to agree to take the money for her father, but we never really know if she does or not. We can infer that she takes the money because she doesn’t really seem to put up a fight with the idea of it. The last line in the story reads, “In the cold silences of night, I could hear my father’s car keening in the distance. You’re one in a million it cried.” This shows how Ashes is conflicted over whether to take the money -- her morals are being tested, but her dad’s old tricks of calling her one in a million and making her feel special are wearing thin, because she has realized who he really is as a person.

           

Overall, from this story we can see all the complications of different family issues. The story also demonstrates the difficulty of making choices when you are put between a rock and a hard place. Teenagers related to this story right now because they are faced with peer pressure, friend problems, and problems at home, and we learn that we have to make certain choices that will show the quality of our values and ourselves.

Summer Reading Response -Kate Pamplin 802 Book - The World According to Garp by John Irving

The book The World According to Garp, by John Irving, is about a man named T.S Garp. The book takes us through his entire life. It tells us his stories and adventures as a writer, father, husband, and hard-headed person.

Garp is surrounded by feminism. Garp’s mother, Jenny Fields, is a famous feminist writer, and a dedicated feminist herself. Therefore, there are lots of portrayals of feminism in this book. I think Garp is a bit of a feminist himself. He definitely supports it. There are many ways he reacts to and supports the women’s rights movement.

Garp is a writer. He writes many novels, but his third novel really shows his feminist side. In all of his books he demonstrates that he is an extreme feminist, because he is obviously influenced by the work and writing of his mother, who was such an extreme feminist she barely had anything to do with men. The World According to Bensenhaver was Garp’s third and most popular novel. This book has an underlying tone of feminism (you are given excerpts from the “book” so this is how you can see the writing styles of Garp).

For example, Garp explains his novel by saying that the main character, Dorsey does not make the important decisions in his marriage. Hope, his wife, makes all the decisions in their marriage. This contradicts the traditions of  the 1950s and 1960s, because men typically made all the decisions in marriages. Garp’s character Hope demonstrates feminist values because she shows that  women are just as capable to make smart, responsible decisions as men are.  In the book, Garp’s readers really notice all the feminist aspects of Garp’s writing, that's one of the reasons it was so popular.  

Garp also supports all sexuality, which is related to feminism because it’s not just equality for women but for all. One of Garp’s best friends is Roberta Muldoon, a transgendered person. She was a big supporter of Garps mother, Jenny Fields, and her writing. When Jenny dies, and all of her feminist and fans plan her “feminist funeral”, so no men are allowed, including her own son Garp. So Roberta helps Garp dress up in drag so he can attend the funeral of his mother. “‘It’s a funeral for women. Roberta says, “Women loved her, women will mourn her.’” This shows how much Jenny really cared about the equality to women. But since Roberta, is transgender, she helped Garp dress up in drag to respect his mother's wishes. Garp has a lot of respect for Roberta and was grateful for her help. This shows he respects and accepts all, which we can look at as a feminist action and way of thinking and feeling.

In the end I feel Garp demonstrates feminists’ ideas, and expresses his acceptance for all because of the people he is influenced by. In the day and age of the book, it shows lots of new ideas. Since there was lots of judgment, and a lack of acceptance of the unconventional at the time, this book brings up new modern ideas that are important for people to understand and realize. Garp’s feminist ways make him the person and writer he is, and helps him in his daily life.

 testing testing 123